Preparation

1) Scatter the bread in a buttered casserole dish (9x13 works great) and set aside.

2) In a large bowl whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, both kinds of sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and orange zest, pour over the bread making sure to give everything a gentle press with a spatula.

3) Cover with some plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours, or overnight is even better.

4) When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and make the topping. In a bowl, mix both kinds of sugar and flour, add the butter and using a pastry cutter or a fork cut the butter in until the size resembles the size of peas, fold in the walnuts.

5) Sprinkle the topping evenly over the french toast, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until the center is set and the top is golden brown.